On May 28, 1971, Murphy was a passenger in a twin-engine Aero Commander 680 aircraft on a business trip. The plane was approaching Roanoke, Virginia, in conditions of rain, fog, and zero visibility. The pilot did not have an instrument rating — the certification that allows a pilot to fly in conditions where visual flight rules do not apply, navigating by instruments alone.
The aircraft struck a mountainside near Roanoke. Murphy was 45 years old. Four others in the aircraft also died. The crash site is on the Appalachian Trail.
He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on June 7, 1971. His grave, near the amphitheater, became one of the most visited at Arlington — by some accounts the second most visited, after President Kennedy’s.
In 1975, a court awarded his widow Pamela and their sons damages of $2.5 million in a suit related to the crash.
The Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Affairs Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, was named for him in 1973 — two years after his death. The Army’s Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, which honors outstanding non-commissioned officers, was established to carry his name within the NCO corps. A commemorative U.S. postage stamp was issued in 2000.
## The Most Decorated Question
The characterization of Audie Murphy as “the most decorated American soldier” of the Second World War requires the precision the guardrails for this article flag.
General Patch’s statement at the June 2, 1945 ceremony was a ceremonial characterization made in the specific context of presenting the Medal of Honor. Whether it was an accurate comparison to every decoration awarded to every American soldier across all services and theaters of World War II is a question that would require a systematic accounting that goes beyond what a ceremony speech can provide.